Play the Neurodivergent Way

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Planning Committee Disclosure - No relevant relationships

All members of the PESI, Inc. planning committee have provided disclosures of financial relationships with ineligible organizations and any relevant non-financial relationships prior to planning content for this activity. None of the committee members had relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies or other potentially biasing relationships to disclose to learners.  For speaker disclosures, please see the faculty biography.

Speaker

Robert Jason Grant, EdD, LPC, NCC, RPT-S™ Related seminars and products

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Robert Jason Grant, EdD, LPC, NCC, RPT-S™, is a licensed professional counselor, national certified counselor, registered play therapist supervisor, and certified autism specialist. He owns and operates the AutPlay Therapy mental health clinic and specializes in working with children, adolescents, families, and adults primarily serving neurodivergent individuals (autism, ADHD, sensory differences, learning disorders, and developmental disabilities). Dr. Grant is the creator of AutPlay® Therapy, an integrative family play therapy framework designed to help address the mental health needs of neurodivergent children and adolescents. He is also trauma informed and trained and utilizes EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing).

Dr. Grant is a supervisor, consultant, and life coach and utilizes several years of advanced training and his own lived Neurodivergent experience to provide affirming services to children and their families. He has infused his experience and love for education and mental health care to create training programs for professionals and care fivers. He is an international trainer and keynote presenter having presented for the American Counseling Association for Play Therapy, American Mental Health Counselors Association, and The World Autism Congress. Dr. Grant is also a multi-published author of several articles, book chapters, and books.

In 2015, he was awarded Play Therapist of the Year by the Missouri Association for Play Therapy. In 2017, he was presented with the APT Service Award by the National Association for Play Therapy. He currently serves on the board of directors for the Association for Play Therapy and is a board member for the Digital Play Therapy Program. He is also a part time instructor in the Play Therapy Certificate program at Mid America Nazarene University (MNU).  

 

 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Robert Grant is the owner of AutPlay Therapy Clinic. He receives royalties as a published author. Robert Grant receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. He has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Robert Grant is a member of the American Counseling Association, the American Mental Health Counselors, the Association American Counseling, the Association of Missouri American Mental Health Counselors, and the Association of Missouri Association for Play Therapy.

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Objectives

1. Identify the neurodivergent spectrum of presentation to understand how the neurodivergent child client functions in play therapy.
2. Analyze non affirming and ableist manifestations in play therapy room setup.
3. Evaluate the mental health needs of neurodivergent children that can be addressed through play therapy.
4. Select neurodiversity-affirming play therapy interventions that will increase engagement in play.
5. Determine how a “fluid” approach to play therapy progression better meets the needs of neurodivergent children.
6. Use an affirming play therapy termination process that addresses possible negative impact on function.

Outline

What Neurodivergent Children Need from Play Therapy

• The neurodivergent spectrum of presentation
• Neurodivergent play (preferences and interests)
• What play therapy can do for neurodivergent children
• What neurodivergent children need play therapists to understand

STEP-BY-STEP STRATEGIES
Intake and First Contact
Check Your “Internalized” Ableist Beliefs at the Door

• Affirming the intake process and paperwork
• Create a safe waiting room, office staff, and first impression experience
• Accommodations, adjustments, and diversity sensitivity
• Reflective Exercise

Play Therapy Pragmatics
Setting Up a Sensory Affirming Environment

• Play therapy room set up considerations
• Toy and material selection
• Sensory awareness of room

Affirming the Therapeutic Process
Don’t Get Stuck in Non-Affirming Processes

• Neurodivergent mental health needs
• Assess and create play therapy goals
• Formulate a realistic therapy plan
• Reflective exercise

Fluid Approach to Play Therapy
Implementation and the Flexible, Adjustable Pivot

• What to do and not do with neurodivergent children
• Choose and implement a play therapy approach
• When to adjust, how to adjust, and staying fluid

Graduating out of Therapy
Considerations for Saying Goodbye

• Knowing how and when to terminate
• Create a termination process
• Limitations and potential risks

Target Audience

• Play Therapists
• Licensed Clinical/Mental Health Counselors
• Marriage & Family Therapists
• Occupational Therapists
• Occupational Therapy Assistants
• Psychologists
• Social Workers
• Speech-Language Pathologists
• School Counselors